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Energy Use Causes 75% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Says Climate Watch

Energy consumption is by far the biggest source of human-caused global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 73% of the total GHGs. Industry is the fastest-growing source of GHGs since 1990, with the transportation sector ranking second in growth.

This and other information is available for download from the World Resources Institute's Climate Watch. WRI just published the latest climate data for nations, different sectors and types of gases. The digital infographic allows the creation of individual visualizations of the chart.

Climate Watch is a digital platform that tracks nearly 200 national climate commitments. Historical data is available as well.

WRI is a global nonprofit research group that was established in 1982 with funding from the MacArthur Foundation under the leadership of James Gustave Speth. The group produces maps, charts, data sets, infographics and other visual resources related to climate.

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KEYWORDS: climate change greenhouse gas emissions

Nadine M. Post, ENR's former editor-at-large for buildings, is an award-winning journalist with 45 years of experience covering trends, issues, innovations, controversies and challenging projects. Post has written about many industry giants, including 10 ENR Award of Excellence winners. And she has covered disasters, failures and attacks, including the 1993 bombing and the 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center. Project stories include the redevelopment of the World Trade Center; the 828-meter-tall Burj Khalifa; Los Angeles’ Disney Concert Hall; and Seattle's Bullitt Center and Rainier Square Tower. In 1985, Post wrote McGraw-Hill's book Restoring the Statue of Liberty (1986) for the restoration’s architects—Richard S. Hayden and Thierry W. Despont.

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